Apex Legends mobile has been talked about since the game launched, but it was usually just as a pipe dream. Yet, the popular Battle Royale now looks to be getting an actual mobile release. The game is reportedly being developed by Tencent, who are behind a number of huge MOBA mobile titles, including PUBG and Warzone.
This will mark a new expansion for Apex, but it opens new esports possibilities too. With the right focus this could help Apex Legends break into mobile esports just as League of Legends recently has.
Here’s what features we hope translate well into Apex Legends Mobile.
Apex Legends mobile is being developed (reportedly) for Android and iOS by Tencent. The original game is made by Respawn, who are working in a supervisor role over this port of the game. Tencent have managed to convert Call of Duty and PUBG to mobile games in recent years, so they have a strong track record with this kind of thing.
Apex Legends mobile had its strongest confirmation in an earnings call for EA last year. They confirmed that a Chinese partner was working on mobile. It looks like Tencent were the partners behind this.
According to reports, Apex Legends mobile is going to have a soft launch later this year, presumably with an early beta before heading into a wide release.
"Apex Legends Mobile’s development is helmed by Tencent with EA’s Respawn, the studio responsible for the console and PC version, in a supervisory role."https://t.co/u1NqoyANDH
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) February 11, 2021
Competitive games that need a good spec PC to run are difficult to get onto mobile. However, bigger challenges with ports have been pulled off before. While scaling the game down to run on the hardware can be tricky, most modern phones are pretty powerful devices. Often what makes or breaks a mobile port isn’t if the hardware can run it, but if the game can be adapted to be fun on mobile. Mobile control systems are difficult.
For a game like Apex Legends, there are a lot of inputs that need to be mapped to a touch screen. Far from ideal. Fortnite has seen success in streamlining its mobile control scheme. We can probably look to that game to see what direction Apex Legends mobile will take.
If that is anything to go by, the game is going to be best played with a Bluetooth controller. You don’t need to be a dedicated mobile gamer to buy one. Most gamepads work with phones today, like the Switch’s controllers and the Xbox gamepads. This allows players to use a mobile without sacrificing on how they actually control the game.
If the mobile game can adapt gameplay to better suit the small screen, then the title is looking pretty hopeful.
Here are three features we hope translate well into mobile, and if so, might make Apex Legends mobile the best mobile MOBA on the market.
The detailed and fluid movement of Apex Legends is what makes the game so much fun to play. Moving and sliding around is what made this title so much better than Fortnite or PUBG. Now with a potential port to mobile, those movements need to adapt well to a touchscreen and feel as seamless as they do on PC. If the developers pull that off, the title will be a real treat to play.
Apex was always a beautiful game to play. The amount of map clutter and texture balance has always been a strong suite for the game. Textures reused, but seamlessly, maps diverse and well designed and structure complex but easy to learn. If the mobile port manages to capture the essence of what Apex looks and feels like, and also doesn’t burn your phone to a crisp in the process we are 2 out of 3 in the feature department.
Apex Legends always has some event or Happy Hour going on. A mobile port would need to double down on this features to keep players going. The endless cycle of grinding XP, unlocking dailies and tracking stats is sometimes bothersome, but utterly gratifying. The same features we got conditioned to when playing on PC have to be present in Mobile, if the developers ever hope to keep players engaged for hours upon end.
In recent months, mobile esports is also becoming a bigger topic. League of Legends Wild Rift is bringing the game onto mobile, and Pokemon is due to launch a competitive mobile game this year too. On top of that, PUBG Mobile and FreeFire are already established kings in the Mobile MOBA market. Apex Legends mobile will likely follow in the footsteps of Call of Duty. We can expect a game that is fully optimized for a mobile device, but with a competitive community alongside that.
Apex Legends has had its ups and downs since launch. However, it has remained an important part of the battle Royale landscape. While it has failed to have the staying power of Warzone, it is the one of the biggest game to actually challenge Fortnire’s dominance in the arena, beating off similar attempts like Hyper Scape. Apex Legends mobile joins Fortnite and PUBG mobile in bringing the action to phones. If done right, this game could open up a lot of new possibilities for Apex Legends.
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